Healthcare costs continue to rise and stress is the number one factor for employee burn out. Why not take matters into your own hands as an employer and embrace a wellness program in your office. Many people feel they don’t have the time to commit to working out or eating well because they spend 40 or more hours at the office. Give them time each day to kick start their healthier habits and the tools to continue them at home with their families. Here are 4 simple strategies that you can implement today and make a real difference in the lives of your employees.

Flu shots. Flu season seems like a long way off but it might be a good idea to create a plan to bring in a vaccination team to offer vaccinations to your employees. This will keep people healthy and on the job rather than unable to perform or possibly coming in to work while sick and spreading their germs to the rest of the office. You can work with your current healthcare plan to set up this service when flu season comes around again. If your insurance plan doesn’t cover it you can reimburse your employees for the cost.

Wellness education. Bring instructors in during breaks or lunches to promote various healthy lifestyle changes. They may be local chefs to teach about healthy cooking. Perhaps consider hiring a yoga or tai chi teacher once a week. You can’t make these programs mandatory but encourage your employees to attend by providing incentives. It may even be just the break they were looking for in their day.

Speaking of incentives. Employees respond well to rewards for their good work the same may be true for their new healthy lifestyle. It is worth the monetary investment in rewarding healthy behavior to retain good employees. One trend includes reimbursing employees additional medical benefits costs if they maintain a certain standard in their health.

Don’t forget mental health. Stress can be an indicator of a much more complex problem. It can also lead to more physically presenting symptoms like heart disease and insomnia. You never know what kind of additional stress an employee is facing so offering shame-free options for dealing with problems is essential to maintaining a happier workforce.